Michael's Blog

It has been a week since the devastating bombshell announcement of the cancellations of All My Children and One Life to Live. The double-whammy, which will now live in soap infamy, hit mainstream press and our culture as an unbelievable news flash that spoke to the state of our society and a slice of Americana that is dwindling fast. It is so hard to be witness to what looks like soaps are on their last legs, or perhaps soon to have their final cliffhanger.

I have attempted to write this several times, but each time I did not feel the words could express my utter disappointment, anger, and sadness by this decision by ABC. But it’s even more than that for me. Someone who has championed this genre for decades, and who for lack of a better way to put it, never left its side and continually forged ahead believing in its viability, its performers, and its far reaching effects to its long enduring and faithful audience. This pains me to see it happening. I know many of you have that one soap opera above all else that holds a very special place in your heart, and all of us for different reasons. But there is still a commonality to it. Comfort, extended family, escape, living vicariously through some of our favorite heroines and baddies on daytime, these are just some of the things that come to mind which make daytime soap viewing something we can all bond over.

Courtesy/ABC

Well, I don’t think it’s any secret to everyone, that my favorite soap of all-time is One Life to Live. I certainly have made no bones about it over the past week, once the news delivered by Brian Frons threw the industry into a complete tizzy! In fact, I owe my life to One Life to Live. It threw me a lifeline when I needed one so desperately. At a very young age, guess who was an asthmatic like Shane Morasco? Guess who was bullied at school, so much so that they could not face or bear to walk into the hallways? Yup, that would be me; being a sickly child with no friends, and feeling isolated with no contact with people my own age. I started to hang out with my mother, who would watch the soaps. I remember just loving the stories, the characters, and the actors in this unique daily entertainment format. But it was One Life to Live that captured me from the very beginning, with the Woleks, Lords, and the Craigs. Does that date me way back to the beginning of OLTL? You bet. I have seen almost every episode. And in giving me something to look forward to each day, and through the genre’s ability to touch us and strike a chord in humanity, it would be cathartic for me. I could cry and let out my sadness at my life, or laugh and escape when the stories unraveled on-air.

Courtesy/ABC

I remember when I finally went back to school, after six months of health issues and facing my fear of the bullies, I would still run home for lunch to catch OLTL. It became appointment television, which is something that we should not forget during these soapy turbulent times we are facing. And who was the actress who was acting circles around everyone at that time and took the genre by storm? Judith Light as Karen Wolek. The courtroom confession scene to this day is the all-time classic and the quintessential soap opera performance. And who can forget Karen’s cohorts Marco Dane, sister Jenny Wolek, and hooker Katrina Karr? Later when I grew up I moved to Los Angeles and then to New York, and back west again, and I had the good fortune to meet Judith. I told her how much I loved OLTL. And what do you know? Judith got me on as an under-five on my favorite soap! So here I was years later, trying to be an actor and I landed a tiny stint in none other than Llanview, thanks to the two-time Daytime Emmy winner. Well, I realized I stunk as an actor, so that was not going to be my calling. But the magical world of soap operas, now there was something that I thought I could thrive in, understand, and knew about, unlike many others. I immersed myself in the world of daytime through the many incarnations of a daytime career, but I owe it all to OLTL.

Courtesy/OLTL

Last year, I think fans know of my trip to the new digs, which sadly to say, will now be their final digs at ABC. I say that with a heavy heart. But again, it was a magical experience to see the cast and everyone in the Big Apple. I do have the show publicist, Lauri Hogan, to thank for that and for opening the doors so you all could see the video interviews on this website with the various Llanview residents. And if it can be arranged, and before all is said and done, it is my hope to get back there one more time before the series ends its run. And as of today, an offer has been extended. But, I don’t know if I could get through the on-camera interviews without losing it. But hey, I am a professional, right? I can do this.

Sitting here a week later, it still boggles my mind. How can a show that is so cleverly written, and well run and executed, and features some of the most talented veterans and young performers in the business, be facing the ultimate doom? I cannot wrap my head around it, though I have tried and tried. Yes, I understand network and economical business decisions, but are we really going to be intrigued by watching an everyday woman lose twenty-five or two hundred pounds each week and go through some kind of doctored up, and edited metamorphoses, instead of watching Viki, Dorian, Natalie, John, Todd, Tea, Nora, Bo, Rex, Gigi, Clint, etc? The answer is a resounding NO.

Courtesy/ABC

Think of the history of OLTL, and the unbelievable memorable moments that would take a whole other blog to detail what makes this soap incredible. Here are a few: Viki’s biggest battle with DID when we first saw Jean, Tori, Princess, Tommy, and not to mention Niki, (who was seen many times previously) played by daytime’s very best actress, Erika Slezak. And the heart tugging and timely AIDS quilt storyline that addressed the issue of the day so majestically, and the stirring remote with the quilt and the performance of Roy Thinnes. As Sloan he comes to term with his son’s sexuality, while mourning his death at the same time by adding his panel to the fabric of one of the most important social issues of our time. Also, the rape trial of Marty Saybrooke and the amazing performances of Hillary B. Smith and Susan Haskell, who both won Emmys for this knockout story. And of course, the arrival of the Buchanans at the height of the Dallas-craze, that changed the landscape of the series forever. Those beloved ‘Buchs’ are a staple of the show continuing on through today.

Courtesy/ABC

There were the 80’s adventures of Eterna, Fraternity Row, and Time Travel. There was the saddest death scene in the history of soapdom, that of Megan Gordon as her beloved Jake held her in his arms at the window of her hospital room. There was Marty and Patrick. There was Paris, Texas, and Marcie McBain and the Tommy hostage crisis. And there is, and has been for decades Dorian Lord, played with delicious delight every day by Robin Strasser, who along with her ultimate on-screen partner, Erika Slezak as Viki, comprise soaps’ true super couple. I have only scratched the surface here. There were so many gems and nuggets on the series for the last forty- three years, and yes, Kish was one of them, although short lived or shall we say, cut short.

Over the last week, I have seen and read all of the comments and outpouring of support for both OLTL and AMC on my websites and throughout the online community. I am just amazed, overwhelmed and heartsick, reading your extremely thought-provoking remarks. I have read every one of them. We are all suffering this loss together. While I don’t feel anything will overturn ABC’s ill-fated decision, all we can do now is celebrate the legacy of the series, tune-in like there is no tomorrow, and let the ratings go up while the final months of the airshows hit our TV’s. Let’s hope that some other SMART outlet will pick up the show and see that it has legs, an audience of loyal viewers who are still important, and amazing production and talent pools that any programmer would be remiss if they let an opportunity go by to snatch it up. If that does not happen, we will have to prepare ourselves for the final goodbye. We have done it before with Guiding Light and As the World Turns, and that was tough, tough, tough! So to do this all over again is a tall order! In the end, we might have to face another huge mourning process. I wish and hope not. But, ABC already pulled the plug.

Courtesy/ABC

Now, I have told you my story and connection to One Life to Live. Now please share yours with me. Let me know how OLTL or AMC impacted or affected your life, and what memories you have of the series. If all we will have left will be YouTube, and our recollections, it will be sad, but at least it’s something to hold on to. In the end, that’s what soaps have done for me and I think for many of you. They give us something to hold on to and look forward to, so we are not alone… and they gave us so many family members that we never knew we had.

I cannot believe that ABC thinks that the Soap Opera audience will just opt to watch “yet another” food show and this one is called The Chew! People that wtach soap operas will turn to another channel and start watching another soap opera, I know that I will. I sincerely hope that the 1-3 pm time slot ratings crash and burns.

This is coming from someone who loves cooking shows, writes cookbooks and is currently in Top Chef University.

Every single thing I’ve thought and felt since I heard the news…you just elaborated on and put into words. Sadness doesn’t even begin to adequately convey my feelings. Thank you for sharing the daytime love.

Why doesnt another major television station pick up the shows. It is not about ratings, because there is so many of us tuning in. With Oprah stating there isnt enough people home watching, there are thousands of people who make the means and find the ways to continue watching their soaps. They DVR them, they watch them on Soap net. There are many stay @ home moms who tune in daily. I am one of them. Faithfully tuning in for decades. I am in my 40′s and have loved watching AMC and OLTL.
Is there a way these shows can be picked up and continue on. Maybe a Donald Trump or what about SOAP NET why cant the soaps continue under another way besides ABC

I watched OLTL years ago (very early 80s) and although it never captured my heart like GH, I, too was struck by the Karen Wolek courtroom scenes. I agree; those scenes were the gold standards and showed what the genre could do with great writing, acting, and producing. More than lamenting the loss of one soap over the other, I am lamenting the loss of the genre. It’s unique in television history and will, sadly, never be replaced. 12 years of L&O is just not the same. The genre itself will always have a special place in my heart, no matter what happens.

I started watching the soaps of ABC when I was 15 years of age, at the time I barely spoke a word of english and and 31 years later I still watch the same two soaps. These soaps taught me in a way to speak and relate to the english language, phrases and slangs that I couldn’t have picked up any where else. Most people come here and don’t even know what ….under the weather means…..I find myself richer in vocabulary thanks to these two wonderful soaps, nothing can replace them. Now thirty years later I watch these 2 same soaps with my daughters, my son occasionally, my husband when he comes in from work early and I was hoping to introduce my grandaughter to this great legacy. I am heartbroken along with my family. I have stopped watching ABC and Disney completely, except for my soaps…I will not buy a Disney movie, go to a Disney park or cruise. These executives are killing a great legacy so I will repay them by not buying their products.
Whatever ridiculous show they put on wont last, these soaps have in conjunction 80 years of experience together, no reality show can replace that. When I want real self help I go to a professional not tv.
Like you I wont know what to do afterwards, I know I will cry, I have a box of tissue already prepared but until then I will continue to fight to keep the soaps on, its not over until the fat lady sings.

My favorite OLTL story was the Megan/Jake romance. I loved the laughs from the Fraternity Row and Baderly Island stories. I think the “Max is back” commercial was one of the best ads I ever remember on TV. I agree that Dorian and Viki are a super couple. Strasser and Slezak are such a powerhouse pairing.

Hey, Michael. My story with ABC soaps and soaps in general spans at least 25yrs perhaps just a little more. As a 37 year old, that spans a large chunk of my life. Where I lived in Newfoundland (Canada), the time zone is an 1 1/2h ahead of EDT/EST, so by the time I got home from school at 3-3:30pm, OLTL would start at 3:30, GH at 4:30. On days off, I saw AMC, sometimes CAPITOL and RYAN’S HOPE before those were cancelled.

I don’t know if there’s a word limit here, so what I will do, is post the link to my blog posts where I’ve written about my history of the soaps.

Michael, what a tribute to OLTL and how it meant so much in your life. You really had your own soap opera going on . But for you, it is ironic that you now have come full circle. You have become an important and expert authority on all things soap. How exciting for you to be able to write about your favorite stars from your past and to actually talk with and interview them. It is almost like Karma. You are brave to reveal youe personal story and I admire and repect you. I’m sure the demise of OLTL is very difficult for you. I have watched the soap for so many years and have become attached to faves, too.. But OLTL I will always remember for the excellant writing and production that facilitated great actors and stories. Maybe the soap gods will be kind to us and find a CEO who also grew up with OLTL and maybe it impacted his or her life and feel as sad as we all are and just happens to be head of a TV network. We just don’t need another unworthy reality show!. I weep for all of us!

Michael, you literally took the words from my mother and I’s hearts. I have always used my soaps as an escape. An escape from all of the negativity that was going on in my life. At times, when I had nothing else, I always had the loving characters in Pine Valley and Llanview to turn to. The cancellations are absolutely devastating, but I am also trying to tbe grateful for all of the wonderful years of stories and characters that I was able to get lost in five days a week, every week, year in and year out. These shows have touched my life in a way that no other media form has, and I am glad that I will have wonderful memories of growing up and my young adulthood having had such a wonderful outlet to turn to. Thank you for your beautifully said and kind words.

Once upon a time there were three networks. ABC, NBC and CBS. No cable, no satellite, no remote control. By 1974, my nine and ten year old self began watching soaps. General Hospital was my favorite, although Mary, Maeve, Sean, Patrick and Frank and Ryan’s Hope were a close second. And when I wasn’t playing baseball or basketball outside, or Pong or my best friend’s Commodore, I watched AMC and OLTL too. At least when not in school. Through the years I stopped watching all but General Hospital. And although there have been times I couldn’t watch (Genie and Denise leaving pretty much soured me on GH for a few years. I even watched Guiding Light in protest.) Since that time, however, GH has been my show. My stories were on that show. The characters, the families and relationships were important to me. So while at work I recorded my show and watched it just before bed. That’s been the average for 35 years. Now, how many people are like me? How many millions uncounted by the ratings system? Are we not supposed to have jobs? And we buy a lot of stuff folks. Women in their 40s probably account for more spending than any other age group. Mothers, Aunts, Grandmothers all, buying things not just for us but for our families. And we have daughters, granddaughters and nieces who watch soaps too. Someone needs to figure out a way to count us, real quick.

I am very sad that ABC is going to end OLTL. It has always been an escape for me. I am as hooked as any one. I can not imagine not seeing Vicky or Dorian anymore! I for one will not have anything to do with ABC after this.
They are making a huge mistake! I hope they will listen to the fans for a change, they will be sorry if they don’t!

I was very touched reading your wonderfully written article on OLTL. Soaps to me are richly woven pieces of Americana bridging gaps in generations. My earliest recollection of soaps was when I was of pre-school age. I didn’t actually know in detail what was happening, but I recall the emotional aspect of them. My mother would be watching while ironing clothes, and her tears would sprinkle the clothes much like a steam iron would do today. I knew the names of the characters that my mother was so invested in, and along with her would hope these characters were going to be all right. This was a very long time ago when soaps were 15 minutes in duration. Two soaps that come to my memory were “Search for Tomorrow” and “The Guiding Light” As I got older and more cognizant the soaps became great topics of conversation between my mother and me, and I have fond memories of watching them with her. I would much rather stay inside and watch the stories with her than run and play as it were. As I became a teenager there were social issues that soaps addressed that actually helped my mother and I openly talk about socially delicate issues. In those days social issues were not discussed as openly as they are today.

When I had my own family, my daughter watched with me and my mother. She would come home from school to see what was happening with her favorite characters. Again, it did bridge a gap over 2 generations. It’s something we all had in common and were invested in.

For a few years I was unable to watch soaps as I went back to school, and there were no DVRs at the time, so it was difficult to keep up with them. However 8 years ago, I
was reintroduced to the soap genre but this time it was an entirely new one to me: OLTL. A cousin of mine got me hooked, and I have to say it is the best one I’ve ever seen. It is so upsetting that TPTB would even consider axing it. It comes in under budget, is so well written, is character driven and uses their wonderful and talented vets, along with the younger members of the cast and they bridge the generational gap by their interactions within the cast and characters. I first started watching when Nora was married to Daniel (the serial killer, and senatorial candidate), and the very first scene I watched was when Daniel was having a rally for his campaign and Bo was en route to arrest him for murder. I was so riveted I couldn’t breathe. The rest is history. I haven’t missed a single episode since. The only aggravating story line for me involved Stacey Morasco. I really didn’t like her character at all, but that’s just a matter of taste, I suppose. OLTL for the most part is always on fire, and why it doesn’t get the accolades or the recognition it deserves is beyond me. I love this show, and hope ABC will reconsider. I am looking forward to the return of Roger Howarth. I have never seen his work, but from what I’ve read is reputed to be very talented, and to see him interacting with Trevor St. John is going to be a sight to behold. It should be powerful. It saddens me that it will end.

This is exactly how I felt about GL and ATWT. I had watched them with my mother from the time I was 5 – almost 40 years ago. When GL was canceled, I was distraught, but at least I still had ATWT. When they canceled it, especially with the way they ended it – killing off the character that I loved most out of ALL of the characters over the 40 years I’d watched, I was enraged. When it was no longer on, I felt a sense that there was something missing a hole in my life. After a few weeks, I decided to go back to OLTL.

I hadn’t watched in over 20 years, but a lot of the same characters were on there and many former GL and ATWT actors were on there as well – it just felt like a perfect fit. I really started to enjoy it. And now, this announcement. I’m once again heart-broken.

What a horrible time for our soaps. Something that was so ingrained in our hearts and lives being eliminated. It makes me very, very sad. Once again, it’s all about money.

If we want to start watching OLTL again from the beginning after the show goes off the air, how will we get access to all of the episodes? Can anything be done now to collect all episodes from all 43 years so they will continue to exist forever into the future? Someone needs to compile these episodes so they will always be available on YouTube.

when i started watching oltl viki was married to joe riley & that was many moons ago – oltl has been a part of my life since then & i actually feel like i am losing a part of my family – needless to say i am totally devastated & still in shock by abc’s awful decision to cancel this show

Michael ,thank you for this very well written and heartfelt article…. I think you voiced the sentiments of a great many of the fans.

My own ‘history ‘ with ‘soaps’ started as a young child ,with my mother
watching All My Children and The Edge of Night- while ironing and folding laundry.

I can also relate to your being a sickly kid- I had environmental allergies and hay fever so bad it kept me in doors.

Fast forward a few years and throw in a teen pregnancy and I was an ABC soap ‘junkie’ -I watched ‘em all.

I still remember Helen Gallagher singing Danny Boy on the final episode of Ryan’s Hope -it brings tears to my eyes even now.

Over the years my viewership of Daytime television has changed -it had to ,because circumstances in my life changed.
But when and where I was able ,I tuned in to catch up.

I just recently came back to watching OLTL- funny because it was based on a dream I had.

I must confess I can’t relate to or don’t care for some of the story lines.
But my core favorites are still there (including Marty-although I don’t like what they’ve done to her character). It’s moot because she’s leaving.
On my wish list given the news of cancellation is that Susan Haskell stick around for Rogers’ return ( I have been dying to see those two go head to head again for years).

But for right now -I like the rest of the soap fans am just reeling from this devastating news……. I feel sick ,I feel that ‘PAPA FRONS’ and his team have jumped the gun on this one -and the fallout is going to be major.

I have read your bio and I think you are amazingly talented and insightful when it comes to the Daytime genre.
You’ve got heart and passion for the ‘soap family’ and it’s fans.

Just out of curiosity I looked up the telenovela .
What are your thoughts on this as a concept for North American viewers( I say North American because I’m Canadian -but I include myself in the American viewing market).

Is the telenovela a viable concept for the changing face of daytime ?
On television ? On the internet ?
Would we see our favorites -Susan Lucci,Michael E.Knight,Erika Slezak,Robin Strasser acting on a limited run (120 to 150 episodes)basis ??

What are your thoughts?

Given the fact that daytime viewing has changed – many people are in the work force during air time and are DVRing their shows to watch when it is more convenient to do so,(I watch on a time shift channel at 4pm after work).
Do you think daytime (soaps) are an ENTIRELY dying breed or can they find new life in a different concept ??

I will close for now with two lines from a poem by my favorite poet
Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage,rage against the dying of the light

I have watched all 3 ABC soaps since day one……but heart belongs to ALL MY CHILDREN, and Agnes Nixon. When my daughter was 6, she was diagnosed with Leukemia. Spending countless days in the hospital, she watched AMC with me, well even this little ill child became hooked!
I wrote to Ms Nixon, and asked if I could bring her to a taping , and to meet her favorite stars…..Peter Bergman, and Taylor Miller…..That gracious, kind lady, wrote me back asking me to call and tell them when we wanted to come to the studio.
What a thrill for my daughter, and her Mom…to spend an afternoon in Pine Valley……the actors had autographed pics waiting for her,, and we got a grand tour. I will never forget their kindness to a sick little girl. My daughter is healthy and now 38!
That’s why it;s more than another soap, it’s my family.

On the rare days my mom didn’t have to work, we always watched ABC soaps, and OLTL has always my favorite. I have vivid memories of Eterna, Megan’s death, and Alex trying to drown Cassie. I admit it wasn’t until I was 12 that I started to watch OLTL because I loved it and not just because my mom watched. That was the year Nora Gannon came to Llanview, I instantly fell in love with her, and she became my favorite soap character of all time. Hillary B. Smith is the reason I became I lifelong soap fan, and it saddens me to know I won’t see Nora on my screen anymore after January.
There have been many great stories I will always remember and many not so great stories I’d like to forget, but I am happy that OLTL has been part of my life for all these decades.

I too know what it is like to relate to a storyline and to wait for my favorite shows AMC and OLTL to break up the frightening feelings lying in a hospital bed alone until these charactors came on and brought me into their familar surroundings and for a little while all was well again. I grew up with these shows. In the past 2 years I have lost both parents and less than 2 months after my Dad’s passing, Frons announces the killing off of these 2 shows. I feek bad for all the actors and crew that will lose their jobs. ABC hasn’t even come up with a new concept to put in their place. For the GH fans, don’t think you are safe, you are simply next.

Hello, Michael. I just turned 34 and I have been watching the daytime dramas on ABC since I was 5. I can remember coming home from kindergarten in the afternoon and laying on the floor next to my mother watching them everyday. As I got older, my mother had to record them for me every day and my friends would come over after school to watch them. The VCR kept me viewing my soaps for many years while I went to school and worked and then DVR came into play. I DVR my soaps every day and I watch them every night after my daughter goes to bed. There are no words to adequately express the sadness of this choice ABC has made! I don’t understand how they can throw away something so rich in tradition! These shows have lasted for decades and everyone in America knows them by name, even if they don’t watch them. I would trade any primetime drama for the rich tradition in my soaps. Every stage in my life is tied to reminders of storylines that have made me scream, OMG! Or the storylines I have cried through or laughed at; storylines that make an impact on me and the millions of other viewers out there, who are outraged at this decision by ABC. I don’t want more reality or lifestyle shows! I want to be able to escape into the world of my soaps with the characters I have come to love over the years; they have become like family to me. Nothing can replace that. Primetime dramas are good at turning headline news into episodes but they can’t do it the way our soaps can. The guest stars in these primetime episodes are characters we don’t know and we don’t really care about; it’s not going to have the same impact as watching a character we love go through something. Soaps have been so powerful in addressing society’s issues throughout the years and the stories are brought to us, with maximum impact, because we are watching a character that we feel tied to. These social issues are more powerfully played out with the characters we identify with. I do not know what Frons and the rest of ABC is thinking! It’s horrible. I never thought I would see the day when my shows would be cancelled. Soaps are a staple in American television! Whatever they are planning on replacing them with will not last. And whatever they are replacing them with will not bring them more viewers than the soaps do. Is anyone going to be DVRing The Chew or The Revolution? I don’t think so. ABC will lose millions of viewers over this choice and I can only hope that some other network will want the benefit of the loyal following ABC daytime has. I know I am not alone in this. #SaveTheSoaps!

I started watching All My Children in 1983 when I saw a petite diva arguing with her then-boyfriend Kent Bogard about his affair with her sister. I hated soaps prior to this day but my mom convinced me to record the show for her on an almost full VHS tape (I had to take out the commercials for her.) But once I saw Erica Kane in action … the rest is history. I have watched AMC and then OLTL ever since.

When I was in high school in the early to mid 70′s, I would ride the bus when I was a freshman. We would all sit in the back of the bus, and talk about Erica Kane, and the things she was doing. My first memory of OLTL was Karen, Larry, Marco Dane, and Jenny. Who could forget David Rinaldi? Cassie? Asa? Bo? Clint? Tina? Cord? Max? Gabrielle? I watched them all.

My initial reaction when I read the headlines was, “Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot”. I am sad. I am almost 52 years old, and have watched soaps for almost 40 years. I work fulltime, but when my kids were young, I was a stay at home Mom. When I would put them down for a nap (they are two years apart), I would catch up with what was going on in Llanview, and Pine Valley. When I am on vacation, I watch, and at night on Soapnet. I feel a profound sense of loss because it is part of my youth, young adulthood, and middle age that will be no more.

Those who made the decision to cancel these soap operas have no clue what kind of an impact they have made on our lives. We live in a fast food, instant gratification world, and that just pisses me off.

I will watch them when I can, record them on my DVR, and cry buckets when the last credits roll.

I wish there was a way to keep them on the air. The soap operas have made a difference in our culture. Social issues were addressed, and they were a fun escape. Sometimes, when I had a lot of drama in my own life, it was nice to escape by watching these shows.

They maybe gone, but the actors who are on the shows now, as well as those who have come, and gone, will hold a special place in my heart.

Michael, your story moved me to tears, and I know how hard it is to sit down and write something that is so near and dear to your heart. A lot of what you said mirrored my sentiments. Mom got me started on ABC and right off the bat OLTL was my #1. I was 11 years old when it aired in 1968 and been with it from day one. I used to rush home from school everyday and never missed it, the old days with Sady & Carla and the interesting stories they gave us since the beginning is what set this show out to be my all time favorite as the topics were always controversial and they were never afraid to take chances and take the show to places where others never did…to Eterna and back.
I have been a proud fan who invested a labor of love to this show writing for the fan club newsletter for 18 years and was honored to run the fan club for 2 of them..I have met so many wonderful people on this long journey and after January 2012 my life will have a huge hole in it with the show’s absence..there is so much more to say but I don’t know where to end it…to the cast and certainly the crew (some who are my lifelong friends), my heart has been with you since July 15 1968 and will continue to be with you forever…OL has offered so many social issue storylines and was just a step ahead of all of daytime…so Cheers to all that have given us so much…Michael my friend you have said it all..we both share that intense passion for Llanview, and with that being said unless there is a miracle lets take a wild ride for the next 9 months as I know OL will do what they always do best..pull out all the stops to bring us to tears, move us, make us laugh, and just DO IT… From Live Weeks and Executions, to split personalities we HAVE ALL BEEN TO Eterna and back…..lets hope there will be a ressurection and we can all experience our Eterna with OLTL……

Why not put them on some cable channel; one that is on Time Warner and Direct TV amd require a subscription of say…5-20 dollars per month to watch them? For those of you who think its a good idea call your cable company and ask them about possibilities. Tell them you’ll pay.

Michael, I enjoyed reading your thoughts and history with OLTL, and certainly sympathize with and thank you for sharing your personal hardships, which OLTL helped you overcome. I also appreciated the many finer moments of OLTL that you mentioned, all of which made me smile, and I remember and loved each and every one of them. I too, can still see the scene of Jake holding Megan as they look out the window and she passes on (which was the first time I had heard of Lupus), what a powerful moment, and there were many just like that, and I am sure still so many more to come. I have watched all three of the ABC Soaps for 40+ years of my 51 years of life thus far, and started with my Gandmother and Mom when I was a young girl. I can still remember Nanny and I watching Judith Light in her powerful courtroom scene that simply mindboggled me as a young girl. Judith Light was and is an incredible actress, who I adored from that moment on – her genuine tears were as big as quarters. I also enjoyed Vinnie Woleck and his sweet, yet simple wife Wanda (I can still see the funny facial expressions she used to unintentionally make), and Larry and Karen were a great couple too (so different, yet perfect together). How about Joe Riley? He and Vicki were a great team. Quirky Luna Moody made me laugh (she certainly was an offbeat character for that time), and as a teen I first saw those baby blues of Tom Berenger’s as he played Tim Siegel – I loved him, and was sad that he was not around long enough, but Max Holden had some great baby blues also, and he and Blair were a great team to watch as well (so happy that they are a couple in real life). Along came the Buchanan’s, who were and still are forces to be reckoned with. The symmetry between the original three Buchanan men alone (Asa, Clint and Bo) was pure excellent television, and could have been a soap opera in itself, then they all started extending their family trees, and introduced us to some more wonderful actors and actresses, most of which we are still enjoying today! Speaking of baby blues (again), how about John’s (masterfully played by Michael Easton)? Love him, what an actor. I could go on and on. The day the announcement was made, I literally cried in shock, and my husband and son, did not even make fun of me, as they know and understand the joy this show has brought to me for so many, many years of my life. My son, who is now 16, can also name the OLTL cast of characters, and has seen many a storylines with me over the years, as has my husband. I tivo all three ABC soaps every single day and enjoy every second of the 15 hours of soapdom I which on the weekends, and will be so sad to see it dwindle to only 5 hours. Hence, one of the major problems (as mentioned many times since this heartbreaking announcement was made), they truly need to update – how they take these viewer polls. The Nielson Ratings are just not accurate enough any longer – and who are these Nielson families any way, I have never known one, and always wanted to be one! So many people work, BUT do not miss one second of the soaps because they view them on the internet, DVDs and tivos, to mention just a few. Like you mentioned Michael, I doubt ABC will reverse their awful decision, BUT I will continue to amicably fight the fight, sign every petition, make every phone call and do whatever I can to stop this demise from happening. I, as many, would be thrilled and thankful just to see it even once or twice a week if need be, on a cable channel. I can see Dorian, Viki, Clint, Bo, Todd, Blair, John, Tea’, Starr, Rex and the entire cast fall in nicely on TV Land, right after Hot in Cleveland. Wouldn’t that be nice????

I just remembered one more terrific couple from OLTL’s yesteryear cast – Carla and Ed Hall, who were involved in a wonderful, groundbreaking racial storyline many years ago. One Life to Live truly had many groundbreaking and controversial storylines, that made us think, cry and cheer, and they are still going strong today, as evident in the bullying storyline wonderfully being played out right now. The thought of not being able to tune into see these creative stories unfold much longer is so very sad. I hope everyone continues to send those emails, make those phone calls and do whatever it takes to voice your love of these ABC Soaps and your sadness in their demise – let them know that there are so many, many more soap fans out there than they think!

Thanks for sharing that Michael! Beautifully stated and very touching. I have watched OLTL almost as long as you off and on and they really do become family and they do help you through illness and other events in your life. I will miss OLTL if it does not get sold and kept alive. Please everyone watch! Let’s hope someone has some good ideas to save this soap and all of those very talented individuals who create our stories and keep us captivated!

Michael great job on putting everything down for us. My love of soaps story begins will my mom, she passed down watching soaps to me and I started when I was around 8 and now I am 30. I am thinking ABC is just like all the other companies wanting to cut costs and jobs, I am seriously surprised they are not sending jobs overseas, I am seriously sick of all the reality shows, I mean really the majority of shows now are all reality, soaps have always been an outlet for me to just get away from the everyday stresses of life. OLTL is my favorite and is is so sad for me to see they are going to put of random people to fill their spot, they can never replace the true talent and acting of the legendary people. For now the only thing I watch on ABC is the soaps and once they are gone, I will no longer view or support any show affliated with ABC.

I don’t think words can express how saddened our family is by the news of the cancelation of our 2 shows. They have brought us so much joy throughout the years. They have been a beachon of light to carry us through the dark days. We have had so many trials in life. sickness, loss, and tragedy and we owe us getting through it partly to these 2 shows. The human mind needs a chance to reboot to escape from our own problems. I know a lot of people that count on these shows as one of their only things to look forward to in life. I would climb to the top of the highest building and shout for help if I thought someone would listen. Please Please Please don’t take away one of the only good things left in this world!

Your words were spoken so true for so many fans. I, too, grew up watching OLTL. I can’t remember one day without watching “Viki.”. Through the years I became a loyal fan of Erika Slezak- a phenomenal actress. She is flawless in her portrayal of “Viki” and I can’t imagine not seeing her on screen daily. Saddens me.

I started watching OLTL in 1984 i was so into Cord and Tina and i’ve watched ever since then. One of my favorite storylines was when Vicki split into gene and kept dorian locked in the basement it was fun to watch her just push dorian down the stairs and into the dungeon!

I cried last week when Vicki and Dorian were saying goodbye to one another. I know its only a soap but you could see the real friendship they made together being on that show for many years. And I know I will definetly cry when the soap ends. And I will not watch the show that replaces OLTL. I will miss them all!!

I watched “Another World” since I was a child until it was murdered in 1999. I then switched over to “As the World Turns” and watched it until it was murdered. I found it very easy to get into “One Life to Life” and enjoyed it very much. What with SOD and SOW, not to mentioned Michael’s wonderful site, I found it very easy to keep up with ALL the shows and know what was going on. But OLTL was very special; beautifully written and acted. It was ery easy for me to find a place in my heart for these characters. I swore i would never watch another soap after “AW” and then after “ATWT”, but if ABC’s murder spree has taught me anything, it is to support the soaps as a genre. I will probably watch another soap in the hope that some of my OLTL family will show up on another one, but it will be hard. I love the web sites that have continued writing the shows and the new web series. I still hold out hope that PP will get it together and bring OLTL and even AMC to the web. Until then, I will cherish whatever time I have left with OLTL and remember it fondly.

I started watching One Life to Live with my mom. Natalie, played by the amazing Melissa Archer (my all time favorite actress), is the reason I still watch to this day. When I got into OLTL, it was during a phase of mine where I watched ALL of them. Only a few of them stuck. Like, One Life to Live, especially. There’s been times I’ve gotten busy with school, and ran out of time to keep up with the show. Natalie always kept me coming back. I kid you not, she was like the first girl I ever loved & the one thing I will miss most about OLTL. I wish Melissa nothing but the best, and still pray for the day that I meet her!

Hi Michael,
Thank you for offering the chance to share my story. While I am enjoying and savoring every last moment of One Life to Live, I feel like I am sitting a beside vigil for a dying close, relative.
I began watching OLTL 25 years ago, when I was 12, pulled into the show at the time of Jessica’s birth and kidnapping. I was fascinated by the powerful love story of Viki and Clint, and as a 12-year-old it embodied the passion, the chemistry and depth of emotion that I had dreamed of having one day. I was riveted by the performances of Erika Slezak and Clint Ritchie.
And of course, there were Tina, Cord, Max, Kate, Dorian . . . . .
School let out at 2 p.m., and I would race home – of course, only going as fast as my bus could travel – and plant myself in front of the television by 2:20 p.m. Thank God we soon got a VCR so I wouldn’t have to miss those precious opening 20 minutes!
OLTL not only gave me an outlet and an escape as a teenager, it also gave me a beginning and inspiration. As a teenager, I would handwrite scripts and send them to the New York studios, dreaming that I could be one of the youngest soap writers ever!
Today, I am a reporter for one of the largest newspapers in Massachusetts, a career choice which – I’m not going to lie – was somewhat influenced by The Banner and the newspaper industry as portrayed on OLTL (and the storyline in which Viki almost gets cremated . . . . ). And somewhere along the way, I, too, found my cowboy . . .
As the show gets ready so say good-bye, all I can say is thank you to Agnes Nixon and the actors who have entertained me, inspired me, and waited for me at 2 p.m. every weekday.
Donna

I feel like a piece of my heart was cut out these last few days. I watched soaps with my Mom and the rest of my family and just have a hard time seeing this show end. I think I started watching ATWT, GL:, Dark Shadows with my Mom. When I married and was pregnant I watched AMC, OLTL, and GH my daughter started watching these shows with her daughter. We often talked about the shows every week to see what we thought would happen next week. I will miss the soaps and feel ABC is just out of their minds for taking them off. I know I will not be watching anything but GH during the day on ABC now and the only other soap I watch is Y&R on CBS because almost everyone from AMC is on that show now. I’ve also taken a look at Pretty and Venice on the Internet. Guess I’ll be working on the house and reading alot more now. I will miss all the cast as I felt they were part of my family. I hope all have a great future and that they can find the jobs they will need. LOVE YOU FOREVER

Michael I am still mourning the loss of OLTL and cannot believe the shortsightedness of ABC. They destroyed what I considered soap perfection . Now I watch GH and it is light years better than iot was a few weeks ago but I am saddened that some GH fans have been posting very mean statements about a OLTL takeover. I for one am watvching GH again because of the OLTL folks. I for one am seeing the beautiful lighting, intimacy of writing, and use of all the actor on GH, as well as RC’s ability to write for woman on GH. I was hoping we could all work together to support our last ABC soap and the fact that we get to have some of our beloved OLTL actors on it is icing on the cake,

I agree with you Susan m,I am liking general hospital now ,its been years since I felt like this ,But If I got a choice right now and got to pick which soap I would want to have and keep it would be ONE LIFE TO LIVE,that would be my favorite place to go for a hour every day that soap had heart and I miss every one of my landview characters.The 4 crossovers dont even touch what I have lost every day ,I will go on boycotting abc/disney till the day I die over there stupid, greedy decision to cancel my favorite soap.

Your comment was awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I totally agree……………….I want to go back to landview also… And Dorian’s place ..Can’t spell it right(Labolay)?? I miss BLONDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And Gi Gi & Rex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I watch GH to see oltl characters… Tayia is coming to GH real soon & baby intact…Victor’s baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But it isn’t quite the same for me…Oh well what can you do……………………….Those idiots had to cancel it….BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

susan M. replied January 13th, 2013 at 3:05 pm

No more goodbye Llanview or rest in peace! I say WELCOME BACK ONE LIFE TO LIVE!

Erika Slezak is so lovely…………………………………..I miss her a lot STILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the rest of th crew of OLTL…………………………….I haven’t read anything yet about Ms. Slezak finding another job………………..She should come to Port Charles…………..That would be a hoot !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes Susan m, We have won, we got our One life to live back and I am so happy, I can’t wait till we can see it again, See all our favorite characters Vicki, Clint, Bo, Blair, Dorian, Natilie, Nora, and I hope Roxy and so many others, It has been a very long year without our soap.You said it best, WELCOME BACK ONE LIFE TO LIVE, This fan is sooooooooooooooo happy to be able to once again visit Llanview PA.

I know ! This is an old comment I wrote last May! Nice hearing from you. I am so happy also we will get to see all our favorites again on OLTL! And I don’t have to look at the cast picture I have of OLTL & feel sad anymore! I Didn’t hear
yet if GiGi & Rex will be joining the OLTL re-boot . OLTL is and will alway’s be
my favorite #1 soap! Are you still watching GH??? I am.

Barbara t loves One life to live replied March 5th, 2013 at 4:09 pm

Yes I am still watching Gh and it has gotten so good, no more afternoon naps for me, I am sooooooooo happy OLTL is coming back to us, I have missed it so much.

Watched a old episode of OLTL this morning on the soap channel..Missing OLTL STILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s weird watching the repeats…There could have been some channel they could have put OLTL on !!!!!!!!!!! They didn’t try hard ENOUGH ……………………………………………They put other shows on-line .. They could have struck a deal with someone else..P.P. isn’t the only ones in town…They gave up too easily!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Yes they did………………………. What a rip-off……………………………………………………..

Susan m. p p was set up by abc/disney to keep us quiet while they disassembled there daytime lineup, it is a shame because we lost one life to live not once but twice. Why didn’t p p come out with a statement saying why they gave up on the hope that one life to live would return on the net. I wonder how long we have left before we loose soapnet? And you are right they didn’t try hard enough.

What a JOKE those daytime emmy award show was….What TRIBUTE for AMC & OLTL there wasn’t any…No memorable scenes from AMC & OLTL not even one…………. What a rip-off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not one award went to OLTL ….That really LOUSY………………..Liked seeing ERIKA , but I think she deserved to win hands down……………OLTL passed over AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is this soap over looked on the award show??? That was the worst daytime emmy show I ever saw….The music was AWFUL……Like I said a JOKE!!!! Whay did you think barbara t.. ??? About the daytime emmy show SAT. ???

susan M. replied October 22nd, 2012 at 7:16 am

I miss Antonio from OLTL….He should come on GH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saw him on the soap net channel this morning on a repeat episode of OLTL!!!!!!

susan M. replied March 5th, 2013 at 8:50 am

Llanview IS VERY MUCH ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It HAS BEEN ENERGIZED!!!!!! IT”S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VIKI, Bo,Nora,Clint, ETC>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.You can’t
keep a GREAT SOAP DOWN (OLTL)! OLTL #1 in my book!!!!!!

I want to visit Llanview STILL…………………………………………And all the wonderful people who live there……………………………………….A permanet visit…. Miss this soap sooooooooooooooooooo MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STILL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last nights telecast of the 39th Emmy Awards was nothing short of a joke. One Life to Live should have won Best Show, but being that the idiots in charge did not vote for the show just shows their stupidity. Both shows should have had tributes and they should not have been lumped together, with Susan Lucci doing most of the speaking for both AMC and OLTL. Agnes Nixon only confirmed her deep feeling for Susan Lucci and All My Children. One Life to Live was Ms. Nixons became her “red-headed stepchild” the minute that All My Children debuted–Agnes can’t deny that AMC is her favorite show, hands down and I’ve thought that for many years.

Well OLTL has always been my #1 soap for e very long time & that will never change ………………………GH was my second fav & AMC was third favorite..I liked AMC better when Phebee was & Mona & Kate(tad’s gran)………………I will alway’s miss OLTL most of all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BLONDIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It’s July now and I still miss my favorite soap OLTL…….It’s been gone 6 months now…….I still miss seeing it Mon.-Fri….From 1:00pm -3:00pm I either read or do housework ….It was a sad day when they cancelled OLTL…………….The last epiosode It was unsettling……..Because you knew the curtain was going down on OLTL!!!!!!! I never thought I could miss a soap opera this way………….I want this soap to come back into my living room with me & keep me company for that hour five days a week………I still feels WEIRD without OLTL……Back to Llanview thats where I would like to visit again & again!!!!!!!!!!! And Llanfair…………………….Roxy’s hair salon & hotel….And her beaver on the desk of her hotel…I miss Nigel …..VIKI…ETC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We need Llanview back & all that dwell there ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OLTL FAN FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WAS AN AWESOME SOAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s why we nee to re-visit Llanview or on a more permanet basis….I go for PERMANET BASIS!!!!!!! How about everyone else??????????????????? Do you agree in what I said??????? Let me know……………………….

I started crying reading your article- and I remember running home for lunch, too with the much more welcoming and accepting people on OLTL and all the shows. Brings back memories- thanks so much, I know you wrote this years ago, but it is still quite beautiful and touching. Thank you, Michael.

I am new to your website and since Friday afternoon have spent most of my weekend on here and can’t seem to stop. I am bawling myself as you touched on so many things for me I can relate to and your honesty and sharing- I was bullied mercilessly -not only at school but at home, too. I turned to food and the soap operas for comfort. I saw the character names you mentioned and how Judith Light helped- you- can’t type really or express my gratitude enough. But thank you, sir, thank you so very much.

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General Hospital has released its new winter promo, a very modern and stylized teaser featuring the couples and triangles to watch for that will turn up the heat during the cold months of the new year. Chief among them: Franco/Liz/Griffin, Curtis/Jordan/Andre, Michael and Nelle, Carly and Sonny, Nathan and Maxie, and Dillon and Kiki. Watch the promo below. Let us know who you are rooting for, and most interested in seeing from the love stories featured. Leave a comment »